BioWare Clarifies That Mass Effect Andromeda Isn’t Open-World

February 15, 2017Written by Tyler Treese

The footage in recent Mass Effect: Andromeda trailers have led to some confusion as to whether or not BioWare’s upcoming action role-playing game has an open-world or not. BioWare has cleared that up, as producer Michael Gamble told Official Xbox Magazine that the game doesn’t have an open-world. It will feature large sections to explore, though, and Gamble opted to call it an “exploration-based game.”

“You still have the concept of tight story deliverance and all the great things you come to expect with Mass Effect.” said Gamble to the magazine. “The layer on top of that is a layer of exploration. Sometimes that happens in open spaces, but not always. You can cruise around some of these planets in the Nomad, but it’s not the traditional sandbox-type game.”

That description of how Mass Effect Andromeda should be a familiar one to fans of the series, as previous games allowed players to explore large planets. So, while the game will definitely give players the freedom to explore environments, it’s not an open-world game in the typical sense. Don’t expect it to play like Saint’s Row in space, or one connected world like Assassin‘s Creed.

Mass Effect Andromeda is set to release on March 21, 2017 in the US and March 23 in Europe. BioWare’s latest entry in the Mass Effect series will release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The game is set to undergo a multiplayer beta test, of which details are expected to be announced soon.